


Even Forever Doesn't Seem Like Long Enough

by ThatsALotOfLove



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: (mild angst), Action & Romance, Alec is a leader, Alec-centric - Freeform, Angst, Canon Universe, Clary and Jace are barely in it, Hurt/Comfort, I suppose this could also be tagged as, Isabelle is important, M/M, Magnus and Alec love each other a lot, Magnus is powerful, POV Alternating (3rd Person), Post 2x20, Rated For Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-19 16:30:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11901669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatsALotOfLove/pseuds/ThatsALotOfLove
Summary: During an attack on the institute Alec does his best to protect everyone (except himself). Luckily Magnus doesthatfor him.





	Even Forever Doesn't Seem Like Long Enough

**Author's Note:**

> The title of this comes from a BSB song called  
> [ Drowning ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZXHBgjQjNM), because I really liked the lyrics  
>   
>  _I can't imagine life_  
>  _Without your love_  
>  _Even forever do(es)n't seem_  
>  _Like long enough_
> 
> That said though while the topic of immortality vs mortality does come up it’s fairly brief (literally blink and you might miss it) and this fic is nowhere near as angsty as those lines might suggest. I promise as far as Alec and Magnus' actual relationship concerned it is essentially all fluff.
> 
> As for the violence warning: There are somewhat graphic depictions of canon typical violence. It should not be _too_ excessive, but I will put **ooOooOooOoo** at the beginning and the end of the part, just in case you do want to skip it.
> 
> And as usual: Spoiler Warning! This is set at some point after 2x20 and as such contains mild spoilers for both the finale and preceding episodes. They do stay fairly vague though.

Alec didn’t know what drew his attention away from the old tome he had been pouring over for an hour at least, maybe more. When he looked up, awareness returning to the present from the ocean of information hidden within the ancient text, trying to figure out what had disturbed him, there was nothing. No sounds. No lights. No one standing in his doorway demanding his presence or needing his assistance. It only took him a few more moments to realise that that had been it.

 

There were _no_  sounds.

 

None at all.

 

And while most personnel that had not been ordered to return to Idris like his parents had been dispatched to patrol the city, a safety measure Alec had implemented because they still hadn’t figured out where the Edomi had disappeared to, there should still be a skeleton crew around manning the institute. Fewer than usual, sure, since their ranks had been depleted by Sebastian’s rampage, and his own overprotective siblings and Clary had decided that Max needed 3 bodyguards on his first actual mission, but there were at least four people in the Op-Centre manning the screens. Another few in the dorms, perhaps. Two more medical personnel, one on duty, one standing by in case of emergencies.

 

So why couldn’t he hear anything at all?

 

It was almost as if all the air had been sucked out of the corridors, thus no longer able to carry sound.

 

Even that was more pleasant to imagine than the possibility that there simply wasn’t anyone left to _make_  any noise.

 

Thankfully he taken to storing his weapons in his own office, at Magnus’ insistence: “for easy access” he’d said, eyes haunted, by something Alec couldn’t exactly pinpoint, but it was an easy enough request to grant, especially if it meant that look would disappear. He certainly was grateful for it now. Before he moved towards his bow and quiver, he grabbed his Stele, activating a number of his Runes. Then he checked his phone, thinking of maybe messaging Isabelle to let her know to stay out longer until he had figured out what was going on.

 

No service.

 

Biting back a curse Alec reached for his tablet to be sure. No service either, Wi-Fi or otherwise. He grabbed a remote from inside his desk drawer and flicked on the surveillance screen. It showed him the Op-Center, the gym, and the hallways of the dorm and infirmary respectively. There was no movement on either of them. From what he could tell the equipment was still functional, but there was no sign of any of the others.

 

Straightening he grabbed a sheet of paper, scrawling a quick message. He hesitated for a few seconds when it came down to deciding on the intended recipient. But Magnus had said the business partner he would be dealing with this evening was very fussy and extremely important. That was why Alec was even still at the institute this late, too. And sure something was off, but for now there wasn’t any confirmed threat. Of course Alec knew his boyfriend would drop everything for him without question anyway, but that was exactly why he needed to try and handle this one himself first.

 

So Isabelle it was.

 

_Isabelle,_

_The institute appears to have been compromised. All electronic lines of communication to the outside have been cut. As of right now there’ are no casualties to report, but I have lost sight of all personnel. I need you to send an alert to everyone on patrol not to come back here until further notice. Gather at one of the safe-houses, make sure everyone is accounted for. If you haven’t heard from me again by then treat this as a hostile takeover. The people will be looking for leadership and I know you can provide it, but do not take any unnecessary risks. I trust you to keep my people safe._

After a moment of consideration he added:

 

_Don't let Jace do anything reckless. We have no idea what is going on, and rushing in headfirst could easily do more harm than good. I will keep you updated on my progress. Stay safe._

 

_Alec_

Alec watched, relieved, as the message disappeared in a burst of flames. At least that meant magical means of communication were still available. Knowing that he grabbed a few sheets of paper and stuffed them in his jacket, before walking over to the painting that hid the safe containing his weapons and grabbing his bow, quiver, and after a moment of thinking, a seraph blade and four small daggers.

 

Better safe than sorry.

 

Just as he was about to seal the safe once again, a crackling sound announced the arrival of a fire message. He grabbed it out of the air, letting out a breath of relief when he saw it was from his sister.

_Alec,_

_We’re heading to the closest safe-house now. I'll keep Jace in line. Do keep us updated. And watch your back big brother._

_Isabelle_

 

Alec hid the message in his safe, and scribbled a simple reply of “ _You too_ ”, just to calm her worries for a little while longer. He really didn’t want Isabelle or Jace storming the institute when he had no idea what was even happening. Now fully armed Alec sealed the safe once again and stepped towards the hallway. A quick glance at the monitors showed him that there was still no sign of movement anywhere, hostile or otherwise, which didn’t exactly calm his nerves.

 

The hallway outside his office was equally empty, so he stepped out, sealing the door behind him with his Stele. He decided that he would head to the OP-Center first. As quickly and stealthily as he could, he cleared all the corridors between him and his destination, making sure to stay concealed as he peered through the doorway into the well lit room. At first, the room seemed empty, but before he could turn away a scrap of black fabric caught his eye.

 

Certain now that the room was otherwise unoccupied he hurried inside, heart clenching when he realized what the fabric was. He dropped to his knees next to the body of the woman who’s jacket he had seen, checking for a pulse. Nothing. Her skin had only just began to cool. There were no obvious wounds on her, no signs of blood or a struggle in the room. But from his crouched position Alec could see that she was not the only person on the floor. The three other Shadowhunters who had been on duty in the room had all been dragged underneath tables, hiding their bodies from the view of the cameras.

 

Though he had little hope that they had fared any better than Lysa Goldvale in front of him he checked on every single one of them. As he had predicted, no signs of life. Once he had checked on the last body, he paused to think. After carefully pushing open one of the man’s eyes before closing it again, Alec swallowed hard. Crouched underneath a workbench beside the body, Alec scribbled another message to Isabelle.

_“Four casualties. No noticeable injuries. Poisoning possible. Consider the institute under quarantine until I can determine the cause of death. I repeat: The institute is under quarantine. Do not breach.”_

After the message had disappeared, Alec allowed himself a moment to collect himself. Just like on the other bodies, Fairweather’s eyes were bloodshot, with small veins burst around the whites of his eyes, flooding them with red. Because the bodies had been moved, it was impossible for Alec to tell how quickly they had died and where. If they had been killed by poison, it had to have been airborne. There was no way anyone could have snuck up on four Shadowhunters quick enough to inject them all unnoticed. There was also no way for him to tell whether the poison had already evaporated or not. If it hadn't however, that there was no doubt that it was in his system by now. The best he could do was to make sure no one else got exposed and keep going and look for survivors.

 

His survey of the dorms brought him the same results and he sent Isabelle an updated death count. Still he himself felt fine. Finally his trip to the infirmary revealed both of the medics alive, one of them barely, but both unconscious, their faces protected by masks. From what Alec could tell, the person on duty had noticed that something was wrong, grabbed two masks and brought one to her sleeping partner before passing out next to the bed. The substance had to have acted very fast, as the sleeping woman had not even woken up. Whatever had affected them, it was clear that the masks hadn’t been enough to fully stop it from incapacitating them, but they had protected them from dying.

 

Though Alec was relieved to see them alive that confirmed that there had been something in the air.

 

What he didn’t understand was why he hadn’t been affected. With everyone who had been unprotected in the institute dead, he should not be alive, much less awake. He did not have time to worry about that though. Instead he carried the two medics into one of the isolation chambers, dragging the comforter off the bed to the floor and placing them on it, out of the sight of the observation window. After closing the door behind him he sent another message to Isabelle.

_“Two alive, but barely. It appears that the use of breathing masks saved their lives. Likelihood of contamination: high. DO not enter the institute until it has been cleared by a trustworthy warlock.”_

Alec didn’t dare to write Magnus’ name, not at a time like this. As much as he hated it, with someone attacking the institute, Isabelle and the others were already at risk just by virtue of being Shadowhunters. But there was no reason to believe Magnus had been compromised. He couldn’t risk drawing the older man into the line of fire in case the message was intercepted. But he knew that Isabelle would understand, an assumption that was confirmed when she, inferring he currently was in a secluded location, actually replied.

_“Understood. Hang in there big brother.”_

 

Tucking the message into his jacket, Alec ran all of the facts of the evening through his mind, trying to make sense of what had happened. Something in the air had either killed or incapacitated all available personnel except for him. He had no chance of figuring out why he had been spared, but he believed he would have more luck figuring out why it had happened in the first place. There were no prisoners in the institute at the time, the weapons were untouched and if they had been looking for intel whoever breached the institute would have come straight to his office. That only left one thing:

 

“The vault.”

 

The New York institute vault held several priceless items. Usually getting to the was practically impossible, but with their numbers decreased as they were after the most recent uprising and stretched thin even further by the need for constant patrols, the institute was vulnerable. He grabbed another piece of paper.

_“Heading to the vault.”_

Before it even disappeared completely, Alec was out of the door, only stopping to also grab one of the masks.

 

With a destination firmly in mind now, he moved with deadly precision, made even more so by the runes calling to his angel blood. Whoever those people were they had killed eight of his Shadowhunters today. They would not get away with this if he could help it. Sneaking into the vault unnoticed was almost laughably easy. Alec had spent a lot of time down here as a child, at times when even the library did not offer him the hiding space he needed to be alone with his thoughts.

 

He could hear the intruders long before he could see them, slowing his approach in favour of making sure he stayed hidden. From the voices alone, he counted at least four people, but when the group finally came into view there were five more. The four talking were easily identifiable as Circle members by the runes on their necks. Two more, also Circle members, were holding onto long chains attached to hooks in the flesh of a veritable mountain of a man that almost looked like one of Valentines enhanced Forsakens. Said giant Forsaken was currently ripping through the walls of the vault with huge, claw-like hands.

 

That should not be possible. Not even for one of _them_.

A quick glance at the last two people left explained what was happening. Because the last pair were also connected by a chain. Looking more closely Alec could see that the chain was attached to a complicated looking contraption around the only woman’s neck. It was immediately obvious that she was a warlock by the way her hands were glowing with power as she assisted the Forsaken in getting through the reinforced walls. Alec also figured that the thing around the woman's throat was possibly involved in what had killed his Shadowhunters, making his heart clench as it made him think of Madzie and her warlock mark. Even in the low light the woman’s vacant jet black eyes sent a shiver down his spine.

 

It was clear that she was a prisoner, but if he took out her captor first, it was very well possible that she would decide to take revenge on the others by releasing her powers, which would leave Alec SOL himself. There was also a risk of one of the four just watching taking hold of the chain the moment her captor fell. With how complicated the collar looked, there was also an increased chance that the contraption was designed with some type of dead man switch that would release whatever her powers were as soon as soon as her chain was cut loose, whether she wanted it or not.

 

Even with a mask, that would leave him unconscious and defenseless and if the Forsaken proved itself to be immune, he would be dead within minutes and the Forsaken would be free to roam. That was not a risk he was willing to take. Though he was a talented archer he knew he could not take out four of them at the same time. Plus taking down the Forsaken alone would take several arrows, but attacking it first would leave him open to retaliation from the Circle members.

 

What a mess.

 

He knew he couldn’t risk waiting much longer, because knowing his siblings they would storm the institute the second Magnus gave them the go ahead. Not to mention Magnus himself. Alec didn’t want to risk any of them getting hurt. Of course he did have the option of shooting the warlock first, and taking her out of the equation, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Even though her eyes looked empty and emotionless, he did not want to be the person to judge her beyond saving until there was actual proof.

 

Running through all of the options in his mind, Alec made a decision.

 

He grabbed two arrows, aimed, then fired.

 

Both of them hit their mark and the Forsaken’s guards collapsed.

 

ooOooOooOoo

 

A brief moment of silence followed, before one of the four previously unoccupied Circle members yelled a curse, three of them turning around to face in Alec’s general direction. Only one of them turned towards the more immediate danger. Now no longer urged to continue ripping through the stone to reveal more and more of the treasures within the vault by the hooks buried in its flesh, the Forsaken turned around, burying its bruised and bloody claw-hands in the back of the nearest rib-cage with a sickening crunch. His two comrades stared in shock as blood bubbled up from his mouth before he was pushed off the Forsaken’s arm with a squelching sound.

 

The second Circle member did not go down as easily, managing to hack off most of one of the Forsaken’s arms before it caught him in the throat with the other, crushing his windpipe and tossing him aside like so much garbage. As it turned on the third, Alec shot the fourth with an arrow straight through the heart. Considering the carnage the Forsaken was leaving behind, Alec had probably done him a favor. The fourth circle member buried his blade in the Forsaken’s chest, but even with its lungs rattling with increasingly labored breaths it managed to slam him down onto the floor with enough force to smash his skull with a noise that made even Alec feel nauseous.

 

Injured and even more blinded with rage than a Forsaken normally was it roared, starting towards the light of the exit. Alec knew he couldn’t allow it to escape. Not when he didn’t know whether anyone was in the institute by now to stop it from escaping. Two more arrows drawn, Alec stopped into the Forsaken’s path. Though one of them buried itself in the Forsaken’s throat and the other deep in its chest, they barely even slowed it down. Dropping his bow and pulling out his seraph blade, Alec only had two options, try to block or attack.

 

He swung with all of his strength.

 

His seraph blade hit the mark, but even as it sliced through the Forsaken’s throat, severing its head from its shoulders, Alec gasped in pain as the Forsaken’s remaining hand pierced his abdomen. As the thing collapsed, its considerable mass and momentum crushed Alec between its massive corpse and one of the stone pillars adorning the hall. One hand pressing against the bleeding wound on his chest, the other clutching his blade, Alec pushed the body off himself, panting at the pain the effort caused him.

 

The action left him on his knees, lit from behind by the light beyond the exit, his bow out of reach several feet in front of him, trying to put pressure on his injury while he held himself up with the hand clutching his seraph blade. The sound of slow clapping filled his ears, and he glared up at the source. It was the final living circle member, wrist still connected to the female warlock’s collar.

 

“Well, well, well. What a show.” the man said derisively, yanking the chain and making the warlock stumble closer to him.

 

Eyes narrowing, Alec slowly sat back on his heels.

 

“Sorry to crash your little party. Or to decimate your guest list.” he sneered.

 

Normally exchanging quips with their opponents was more Isabelle’s and Jace’s forte. Maybe it had finally rubbed off on him. Or maybe being with Magnus and thus being able to be himself had finally managed to bring to light the attitude that had been buried within him all along. Alec found he didn’t care. This man and his people had killed eight of Alec’s own tonight and endangered countless more. Alec refused to cower before him.

 

The man took another step closer, the warlock at his heels.

 

“They were nothing but ants, so desperate for a leader with Valentine gone that they were easy to convince of the merit of my plan.” He held up a heavily sealed book bound in ornate black leather. “I have what I came for. Their deaths mean nothing.” the man spat. “And neither will yours.”

 

Ignoring his slight wooziness from blood loss, Alec twirled his seraph blade in his right hand. While the circle member was distracted by the motion, his blood slick left hand reached for one of the small daggers he had grabbed, pulling it out of the holster, before sliding it back up, concealing it as well as he could. He was very aware that while the man had been looking at his antics with the seraph blade in barely concealed amusement, the woman’s eyes had been following his left hand. Briefly their eyes met before she looked away.

 

But she did not speak up.

 

“You life may have been a waste, but trust me when I tell you your death will give me a lot of satisfaction.” Alec retorted.

 

The man laughed.

 

“Look at you. High and mighty Shadowhunter on his knees in a pool of his own blood and still cocky. You can’t kill me. And even if you did, it would mean your death.”

 

He moved the cuff on his wrist, showing Alec a complicated looking set of Runes. He didn’t need to try to decipher them to understand what they meant. Whatever the mechanism was, it would indeed function as a type of dead man switch. As soon as the man died, something would happen to the warlock’s abilities that her collar would prevent her from stopping. Alec licked his lips, swallowing hard at the metallic taste of blood. He had never seen the book before, but he knew that if the man had taken this big a risk in order to get it, Alec could not let him leave with it.

 

He grinned.

 

“We all have to die eventually.”

 

With a quick movement, he threw the small dagger at the man’s left eye. The man yelped in pain, dropping the book as his hands went up to his face scrambling to pull out the knife. Both hands pressed against his eye left him completely open to attack and his impaired vision made him too slow to block Alec’s seraph blade from sinking deep into his chest. The man fell onto his knees with a gasp, as he closed his hands around the hilt of the blade, remaining eye wide and focused on Alec as he cursed without air to give sound to his words.

 

ooOooOooOoo

 

Alec himself wasn’t even looking at the man however. He was on his knees again, bent forward, left hand pressing against his wound, right struggling to keep him upright on the floor slippery with his own blood. His eyes were on the woman, who was clutching her throat with tear filled eyes. As the man at her feet took a final rattling breath, clouds of dark grey colored gas began to escape from a gaping hole at the center of her throat that had been revealed by a sliding mechanism in the collar.

 

Alec could have reached for another dagger to kill her and put a stop to this. The warlock's stricken look told him that she knew that, too. But he wouldn't. Instead he tried to reach for the mask he had brought, but the movement made him slip, grunting in pain as his upper body hit the cold stone floor. As he looked back up at the woman, he expected to see nothing but a billowing cloud of deadly gas. Instead he found himself enveloped in a protective bubble of familiar magic, the slightly blue shimmering shield parting the gas like a boulder in a flood.

 

Alec smiled, lowering his increasingly heavy head onto the cool stone below.

 

The cavalry had arrived.

 

xxXxxXxxXxx

 

Magnus Bane was terrified.

 

When his phone had initially started to buzz in his pocket he had ignored it, then gotten progressively more annoyed when it just kept going. The client he was working with was an old acquaintance, very, very short-tempered and notoriously paranoid. He was also the only one among his people generally willing to do business with outsiders in the first place and the only way Magnus could acquire some of the more exotic ingredients for his potions. Or at least the only way that was not excruciatingly difficult and time-consuming. When he had told Alexander this, he could tell that the young man had understood his need for peace and quiet for the duration of this meeting.

 

But he also knew that his ragtag group of Shadowhunters couldn’t all be expect to be as understanding as his boyfriend was. Nevertheless, having Clary, Jace and Isabelle all call him several times over the course of ten minutes seemed somewhat overkill even for them. Unable to shake the uneasy feeling settling in his stomach like rocks, Magnus had excused himself from the table and made it to the bathroom just as Isabelle called again.

 

“Isabelle, I told your brother I was busy tonight. If you need a warlock he has Catarina’s...”

 

“Someone attacked the institute. At least eight Shadowhunters are dead. Alec suspects they inhaled poison. Magnus, he’s going after the intruders alone and we can’t risk heading in without knowing what killed the others...”

 

And just like that his client had been forgotten.

 

“Where are you?” Magnus interrupted.

 

“The safe-house closest to the institute.”

 

“I’m coming. Get ready.”

 

He didn’t wait for an answer before he hung up. He knew they’d be there. He rushed back into the restaurant and threw a wad of bills on the table.

  
“What...?”

 

“Emergency.” Magnus bit out unwilling to pause and explain “I’m sorry.”

 

And so Magnus left, rushing into the alley next to the restaurant to create a portal that brought him right to the steps at the front entrance, immediately beginning to scan the institute for hazardous substances. Shortly after, he was joined by Jace and Clary, the blond vibrating with barely contained panic.

 

“Where’s everyone else?” Magnus asked, looking at the pair.

 

“There’s a team gearing up to follow us in. But Isabelle knew we...” Clary trailed off, shooting a worried glance at Jace, who barely even seemed to be listening to them.

 

Magnus nodded, understanding.

 

“Of course. Where is she?”

 

“Isabelle is with Max, at the safe-house. Alec...he asked her to keep his people safe.” Clary explained anxiously, almost as if she expected her statement to be met with derision.

 

Even through his worry, Magnus felt a rush of affection for the fiery brunette at Clary’s explanation. Much like her brother, she too had grown immensely since he had met them. She had always been fierce, but now she was beginning to truly fall into the role of leadership that the Lightwood family had been cast into. Magnus had never been too sure about that family in that position. Not until he’d met her brother. And now she was proving herself to be similarly worthy. It gave him hope for the Shadowhunters as a whole.

 

“Of course." he said, nodding to placate Clary "In times of crisis, strong leadership is most important.” then turned to include Jace “I have scanned the area. My wards have been breached in two places, with almost surgical precision. One breach is here at the entrance, the other near the lower roof. I am assuming that is where they accessed the ventilation shafts. Alexander was right. There is a strange energy inside. It’s presence lingers though I doubt it’s still dangerous. But I can’t tell you what it is. So stay behind me.”

 

Even as he spoke, an increasingly pale Jace lurched forward, and Magnus stopped him with a flick of his wrist. The blond struggled for a moment, then slumped.

 

“Alec’s hurt.” Jace explained in a clipped voice at Magnus’ questioning look. “Badly.”

 

Magnus pushed back the renewed terror those words invoked in him.

 

“Then let’s not waste any more time.”

 

They didn’t speak inside, except for Jace to tell Magnus that they had to head towards the vaults. On the way there, Jace stumbled with a gasp, crashing into Clary, sending them both tumbling to the floor. Magnus didn’t even stop to watch him clutching his Parabatai Rune. He’d seen this before. Now alone he practically flew down the last few steps, turned around the corner, and found himself faced with Alec on the floor, in front of a rapidly approaching wall of gas.

 

Before he even attempted to do literally anything else, Magnus threw up a shield around Alec. Only once he was sure that his Shadowhunter was safely encased in a near impenetrable protective bubble did he throw a second shield up to block the doorway behind himself. Nothing would get out. Not in either, though, but Magnus had no intention of letting Clary and Jace get hurt. With Alec and the institute secured, Magnus finally created a large, dome like shield, slowly closing it over the gas. Then, stepping closer, he began to decrease the dome's size, compressing the gas within more and more.

 

He had a good idea what the source of the deadly gas was, unstable magical energy lashing out at his shield as ineffectively as drops of water against a metal pane. What he didn’t know was why whoever it was wasn't stopping. So he stepped through the mostly transparent edge of the dome, unbothered by the miasma, his own magic swirling protectively around him, cleansing it before it ever reached him.

 

By the time he reached the center of the dome, it was so filled with the compressed dark grey gas that he could barely see two feet in front of him. Annoyed, he waved his hand, watching as his power swept through the dome in a wave of light, purifying the air as it went. It wasn’t without cost to his energy levels, but at least it revealed the female warlock who was the source of all this, standing over the body of a man with Alec’s seraph blade sticking out of his chest.

 

“What are you doing?” he called “Stop it. He’s dead.”

 

She didn’t reply verbally, but her voice rang in his head as her dark eyes focused on him.

 

“ _I can’t._ ”

 

“What do you mean?” he replied out loud, unwilling to play telepathic games.

 

“ _The collar._ ” she replied in his mind, mental voice drawn out and low. “ _I can’t._ ”

 

Magnus frowned, then shrugged, feeling the glamour fall from his eyes as his power surged, wrapping around the collar. It tried to resist, the runes taunting his power, trying to throw it back at him. Any other day Magnus might have been intrigued by such a deviously brilliant piece of engineering, but not with Alec bleeding out behind him. So instead he poured more of his magic into the collar, grinding his teeth as the metal screamed under the strain of trying to resist.

 

And then, finally, it gave, breaking clean in half.

 

With an astonished gasp the female warlock stared at him, immediately closing up the hole in her throat.

 

“ _Thank you._ ” she told him in his mind, her eyes focused on something behind him “ _You have both shown me great kindness today. I will not forget that._ ”

 

Magnus nodded in acknowledgement, but even as he waved his hands to dissolve the remaining poison in the air and remove him shields, he was turning back to Alec, rushing to his side. Uncaring of his clothing he dropped down, calling to his magic to mend and heal whatever he could reach. He was barely aware of his surroundings until it was finally clear that Alec was out of danger, though still in need of rest and care.

 

When he looked up he found the anxious faces of Jace and Clary hovering above the two of them. Further survey of the room revealed that the female warlock had disappeared. Exhausted from the amount of magic he had been forced to use, Magnus let out a long breath, one hand still resting on Alec’s chest, though no longer healing, only assuring himself of the steady beating of the younger man’s heart.

 

“Where’d she go?” he finally asked.

 

“Where’d who go?”

 

He stared at Clary and Jace, both looking equally confused.

 

“I guess it doesn’t matter.” he looked back down at Alec, moving his free hand up to briefly cup his cheek. “We should get him out of here.”

 

Even though he knew he was drained, Magnus hated to have to let Jace be the one to lift Alec off the ground. But the strain of the day was finally catching up with him, and he stumbled against Clary when he moved to reach for Alec, too. The short redhead steadied him.

 

“Maybe we should get you _both_ cleaned up and into a bed.” she suggested, and Magnus decided he really didn’t feel like arguing with that.

 

xxXxxXxxXxx

 

When Alec woke up he was in far less pain than he anticipated. That, he immediately assumed, was likely connected to the familiar warm weight draped across his non-injured side. Opening his eyes indeed revealed his dear warlock asleep curled around him like a large, affectionate cat. Smiling slightly, Alec raised his left hand to run it gently through Magnus’ hair, smile widening when the other man stirred, stretching slowly.

 

“Alexander?” he asked, voice raspy from sleep.

 

“I’m here.” he reassured him immediately “Thanks to you no doubt.”

 

Magnus snorted against his chest, eyes still closed.

 

“Sorry about your meeting.” Alec added, contrite. “I know it was important.”

 

That pushed Magnus into full wakefulness. Almost immediately Alec found himself looking up at the warlock now hovering over him, golden-green cat eyes staring down at him accusingly.

  
“Don’t be ridiculous Alexander. Like anything like that could ever be more important than you.”

 

Alec could feel the blood rushing into his cheeks as the casual statement made his heart pound faster. With what had happened between them recently, he stood no chance against the surge of emotion it caused inside him. He could have been embarrassed at his reaction, but the soft smile spreading on Magnus’ face in response made it well worth it.

 

“I love you too.” he replied, and if, when Magnus leaned down, their wide smiles made kissing a little difficult, then neither of them actually cared.

 

xxXxxXxxXxx

 

They were eventually interrupted by a knock on the door and pulled away, exchanging amused glances as Magnus settled back down, though still leaning against Alec.

 

“Come in.”

 

As it turned out it was Isabelle, who beamed at seeing them both awake.

 

“Oh thank the angel.” she said before launching herself at them “I was so worried.”

 

Magnus hugged her back just as tightly, though his eyes were on his boyfriend, who looked down at his younger sister tenderly. Once she pulled back, Alec reached out to wipe a tear off her cheek. She allowed the affection for a moment before slapping his hand away and punching him in the shoulder. Magnus raised an eyebrow when Alec winced, but the older Lightwood sibling merely smiled indulgently as she ranted.

  
“Never do that to me again, you hear me? I can’t believe you were here all alone. We need to work out a rotation of some kind…”

 

Here Alec raised a hand to interrupt her.

 

“Izzie…I’m glad you weren’t here. I have no idea why my office wasn’t affected by the poisonous gas, or why <em>I</em> wasn’t, but I’d much rather face them alone all over again than risk you not being as lucky.”

 

Magnus watched as Isabelle’s face went through a rapid mix of emotion.

 

“And if something like this happens, I need someone I can trust to make sure everyone else is safe. And that’s always gonna be you. You’re the smartest person I know.”

 

Magnus wasn’t entirely sure why, but it seemed like the siblings were having more than just one conversation.

 

“Even after I let…”

 

Alec didn’t even let her finish.

 

“Always. Without a second of doubt.”

 

Isabelle’s eyes looked suspiciously bright when she finally nodded.

 

“I wouldn’t let you down.”

 

“I know.” Alec said, voice utterly sincere and yet tinged with all of the affection he felt for the girl in front of them. Then Alec let out a deep breath, and smiled slightly. Isabelle returned it readily, though hers looked slightly more wobbly. “Now…where’s that Parabatai of mine?”

 

And just like that Isabelle laughed.

  
“Well you see…he could tell that you were awake, but he also knew that Magnus was in here and so he didn’t want to…”

 

“What? Intrude?” Magnus muttered in disbelief “Wonders really never cease.”

 

This time when Isabelle laughed, him and Alec both joined in. That was how Clary and Jace found them. The amused confusion evident on their faces was not helped by the fact that their entrance set the three of them off all over again.

 

xxXxxXxxXxx

 

A few days later Alec was in his office, finishing the last of the paperwork for the day, while Magnus sat on the couch looking through one of the old books from the shelf on the far wall. Magnus had arrived a little earlier in the day, here to support Alec during the funeral for the Shadowhunters that had been killed in the attack. Even if anyone had wanted to protest, no one would have dared. Not after the reports of how the two of them had stopped the invasion without any outside help.

 

The corpses of the Circle members had been burned two days after the attack, the Forsaken had been handed off to Isabelle for analysis and the vault had been restored (with some help from a certain warlock). Alec had insisted on doing the inventory of the items inside himself, and though no one else had been particularly eager to do the job and thus fought him for it, Magnus had asked him for his reasoning later that night when they were tucked up in their bed in the loft.

 

So Alec had told him about the book that had gone missing.

 

Magnus hadn’t know what it was either, but he had offered to keep an eye out. He had also reassured Alec that he didn’t think they had anything to worry about from the female warlock, and Alec had accepted that, trusting Magnus’ judgement. It still wouldn’t do any harm to stay vigilant though.

 

Now as he stared at his boyfriend from across the room, Alec didn’t even realized that he had gotten lost in his thoughts until amused brown eyes stared back at him.

 

“Are you quite alright darling?”

 

Alec smiled, refusing to acknowledge the blush he could feel spreading on his face.

 

“Yeah. Er. Sorry.”

 

“No that’s quite alright. I can be quite distracting.”

 

Alec couldn’t really argue with that statement, especially considering that he had almost shot Jace, again, a couple of days before the attack just because Magnus had walked onto the shooting range with a new haircut. So he just shrugged, looking away. As he did, his eyes fell on a small item sitting on the side of his desk, and he huffed out a soft, regretful “Oh.” as he reached for it.

 

Magnus, who had been watching him, placed the book on the couch table carefully before coming over.

 

“Alexander? What is it? Does your side still hurt?”

 

The gentle concern in the warlock’s voice made the pinpricks of guilt he was feeling increase tenfold. He had considered hiding the item, but in accordance with their policy of total honestly, he lifted it up for Magnus to look at instead. The warlock blinked, mouth falling open in a soundless ‘oh’. Alec put it back down.

 

“Magnus I am so sorry. I don’t even know how this happened. I swear it was doing fine only a few days ago…” he began, heart stopping in his chest when Magnus cut him off with a raised finger.

 

The warlock picked the small item up from Alec’s desk, held it up to his face to look at it more closely and then smiled. Alec stared, not sure what was happening. But when Magnus’ gaze moved from the thing in his hands back to Alec, all he could read in it was fondness. The item in one hand he took Alec’s hand in his other, pulling him over to the couch and sitting him down there before joining him, the item on his knee, still smiling.

 

“You don’t have to apologize Alexander.”

 

“But…it’s…I killed it.” Alec pointed out against his better judgment.

 

Magnus laughed.

 

“No darling. It simply fulfilled its purpose. I promise this wasn’t your fault.”

 

Alec tilted his head, confused.

 

“I don’t…”

 

Magnus squeezed the hand he was still holding, and Alec returned the gesture readily.

 

“You see…” Magnus began, looking back down at the little terrarium with the shriveled, dead flower inside it “You did not kill it. Remember how you wondered why you weren’t affected by the poison attack? Well, it wasn’t because it didn’t reach your office, it’s because this little guy absorbed all the poison to keep you safe.”

 

“It…did what?”

 

And though Alec wasn’t upset at all, it was now Magnus’ turn to look sheepish.

 

“I…well…I put a spell on this. On…on its twin too, you know the one I made you put in your bedroom when I said ‘ _it’s too bleak in there_ ’?”

 

Alec nodded, remembering.

 

“They used to be normal plants, but I infused their earth and water with a special potion for a while, and then I spelled them to…well…absorb any harmful magic that comes your way. At least…when you’re in your office or your bedroom.”

 

Alec moved to speak, but it seemed like Magnus wasn’t ready to hear his response just yet, as he quickly continued.

 

“You see, I don’t think you’re incapable. Not at all. I know you can protect yourself. But…just…when you’re working or asleep, you might not know you're under attack until it’s too late. And I just…I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you to something you couldn’t fight. I know that’s probably a huge invasion of your…”

 

“Magnus.” Alec said, keeping his voice intentionally gentle, but firm enough to stop the older man from just talking over him. Wide brown eyes snapped to his. “That’s…” Magnus looked like he was bracing for a blow, Alec squeezed his hand instead “…absolutely incredible.”

 

Magnus looked absolutely flabbergasted and if Alec could travel back in time and punch every single person who had made this wonderful man so afraid of his amazing powers being received badly, he would.

 

“I just…You…you do realize you saved my life? And I wouldn’t have even known. Magnus.”

 

Alec smiled.

 

A hesitant smile appeared on Magnus’ face in return.

 

“Magnus.” Alec repeated, voice bright with wonder, and he couldn’t stop himself from leaning in to kiss his wonderful warlock.

 

He only pulled back when a sudden realization hit him.

 

Eyes wide, he couldn’t help but note:

 

“Magnus…you…you gave me this months ago. In fact…You gave me these before we ever even went on our first date.”

 

Magnus seemed to hear the unspoken question in this statement, because he smiled somewhat shyly.

  
“I remember. I gave them to you when I came to visit you after you’d recovered from your…Parabatai Rune incident…right before Aldertree cornered me.”

 

Alec winced slightly at the memory of his foolish attempts of bringing Jace back to them, but he decided to focus on how much he owed the amazing man in front of him instead. He nodded.

 

“You did.” When Magnus didn’t seem inclined to continue, Alec decided to prod gently. “I just…don’t understand.”

 

He almost wanted to take it back when Magnus suddenly looked slightly wistful, but the warlock squeezed his hand and replied.

 

“You know how you told me that you don’t think you can live without me?”

 

Alec almost felt like making a joke about how he’d clearly been right in more ways than one, to try to lighten the mood, but the gravity of Magnus’ tone was not lost on him, so he simply nodded.

 

“Of course I do.”

 

“Well…I…being immortal I…”

 

‘ _I will eventually have to._ ’ Alec finished in his head, adding “I know.” out loud to cut Magnus’ torment short.

 

The warlock smiled gratefully.

 

“Well…even back then, all those months ago I…I knew that I would want as much time with you as I could possibly get. So I figured I’d do my part to make sure of that. I started putting things together after we got the Book of the White from Camille. It just...took a while until I was happy with the strength of the spell.”

 

That meant Magnus had to have started right after the conversation about their potentially differing lifespans.

 

Alec could only shake his head in wonder. Pulling the terrarium from Magnus’ grip to place it beside the book he pulled him into a tight hug.

 

“I love you so much.” he whispered against the warlock’s neck “You’re amazing.”

 

‘ _I can’t believe you’re mine._ ’ he didn’t add, but he hoped that Magnus heard it anyway.

 

From the way the warlock hugged him back just as tightly Alec had at least some hope that he did.

 

They didn’t pull away for a long time, neither willing to be the first one to let go, but when they finally did, it was only for Magnus to get off the couch and hold out his hand to Alec.  

 

“What do you say we go home?”

 

Alec smiled and took it, letting himself be pulled onto his feet. He would gladly go to the loft with Magnus, because he loved how safe he felt there. But it wasn’t home.

 

The loft was a sanctuary.

 

But home?

 

Looking over at the man beside him, Alec could feel something inside his heart slide into place.

 

Because for him home hadn't been a _place_  for quite a while now.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Ok. I have no idea what this was either. I was writing something else when I saw [this post](http://botanicalwitch.tumblr.com/post/163749124494/once-a-lady-told-me-that-if-my-plants-are-dying) and my brain immediately went “Ok so but that is totally something Magnus could do” and realised I wanted to write that. Except then things kept getting added: I enjoy show!Alec being a badass fighter in his own right, so I wanted that in there. I also wanted Alec to be aware and appreciative of how amazing it is that Magnus is always willing to help him, without that meaning that he sees Magnus as nothing but his personal ex machina. Additionally I wanted Magnus to just casually prove himself to be more powerful than other warlocks, cause Magnus is brilliant. And I wanted Alec to make sure Isabelle knows he trusts her, especially since she felt so guilty about Sebastian and is only slowly getting her groove back after her addiction. So I tried to put that all into one story and this is what happened.  
>   
> I have gone over this a few times, so I hope it's not a total mess.
> 
> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. :)


End file.
